436 ULULA. HOOTING-OWL. 



Nostrils roundish, near the ridge, in the fore part of the 

 cere, which is tumid behind them. Eyes very large, obliquely 

 situated, slightly mobile ; eyelids with broad, thin, papillate 

 margins, but without distinct cilise. Conch of the ear some- 

 what elliptical, extending from the level of the upper part of 

 the eye to the base of the lower jaw, and having an anterior 

 semicircular operculum, fringed with linear-oblong feathers ; 

 the meatus auditorius oblique, elliptical, at the lower part of 

 an elliptical deep cavity, which is about half the length of 

 the conch. 



Head extremely large, broad, rounded, or somewhat trian- 

 gular, with the sides flattened and sloping forwards ; neck 

 short ; body short, slender, of greater depth than breadth an- 

 teriorly, much compressed behind. Legs of moderate length, 

 stout ; tibia rather long ; tarsus short, feathered ; toes short, 

 covered with feathers of which the filaments are hair-like and 

 separated ; all with two scutella at the end, padded and papil- 

 late beneath ; the first very short, with much lateral motion, 

 the fourth reversible and shorter than the second, the third not 

 much longer. Claws long, well curved, tapering, very acute, 

 compressed, rounded above, slightly convex on the sides, nar- 

 row beneath, the third with a dilated inner edge. 



Plumage very full and soft, somewhat compact above, blend- 

 ed beneath. Facial disks very large, complete or entirely sur- 

 rounding the eye, and composed of stiffish linear-oblong feathers 

 with loose barbs ; the anterior longer, more bristly, and par- 

 tially concealing the bill. E-uflf complete and conspicuous. 

 Feathers in general oblong, rounded ; those of the abdomen 

 downy, of the legs with soft disunited filaments. Wings long, 

 very broad, convex, much rounded ; primary quills broad and 

 rounded, the first five cut out on both edges, abruptly on the 

 inner ; the fourth longest, the first about the same length as the 

 tenth ; secondary quills thirteen, broad, and rounded. Tail 

 broad, rounded, of twelve arched, rounded feathers. 



To this genus belong, as I have ascertained by the examina- 

 tion of recent specimens, Strix nebulosa, Strix cinerea, Strix 

 acadica, Strix Aluco, and Strix Tengmalmi, of authors ; al- 



